


We're Not Going to Be Friends

by all_new_wolverine



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Discovery
Genre: (eventually... :)), Academy Era, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Coffee Shops, First Meetings, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, Hugh Culber wears makeup, M/M, Paul is an asshole <3, Starfleet Academy, with just a tiny bit of angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-06
Updated: 2021-01-09
Packaged: 2021-03-16 14:34:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,363
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28583580
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/all_new_wolverine/pseuds/all_new_wolverine
Summary: After a rude first meeting, friendship was the last thing that Hugh or Paul were expecting. And love? Love was nowhere on their radars. But life is funny like that sometimes.This is the first chapter of a fic that I'll update occasionally! I can't commit to a schedule because college and mental health is kicking my ASS but I'll update it when I can. I'm planning for it to be a mostly fluffy getting together fic where they first become friends and then develop feelings for each other. There'll probably be a LITTLE bit of angst, too.
Relationships: Hugh Culber/Paul Stamets
Comments: 9
Kudos: 20





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Content warning: Hugh misinterprets something Paul says as being homophobic. It is fairly quickly resolved. I don't really think that homophobia will be a thing this far in the future (at least I hope), but there is A Reason that Hugh thinks he is being homophobic, which is revealed later in the chapter!

Friendship was not what Paul expected when Hugh Culber chose the seat next to him on the first day of class, sticking out his hand to introduce himself. 

Paul looked down at the hand then back up at the man offering it. “We are not going to be friends.” 

The smile on the other man’s face dropped. “I— oh.” He looked around the room at all the already full seats. “Well, it’s too late for me to change seats now.” He cut his eyes at Paul. “You know that homophobia is like... way last century, right? You’re going to encounter a lot of things that don’t fit your perfect worldview if you’re in Starfleet.” 

Paul blinked over at him. Had he said something homophobic? What could he have possibly... then he took in the man’s earrings, the light dusting of sparkly blue eyeshadow. That didn’t necessarily mean he was gay, but the chances were pretty high. Had he thought that Paul’s comment about not wanting to be friends was because he was gay? Paul’s stomach sank. He hadn’t wanted to be friends— he found it was usually better to be upfront about that before people got hurt— but it wasn’t because he was gay. 

“I’m not—“ Paul started. 

Just then, the professor called the class to attention. Paul snapped his focus to the front of the room. But he couldn’t focus for the rest of the class. It was like he could feel the discomfort wafting off of the man... Hugh... beside him. 

As soon as class ended, Hugh bolted out of his seat and headed for the door. 

“Hey, wait—“ Paul called, but it was no use. He was already down the stairs and halfway across the room. Paul swore, shoved his stuff in his bag, and took off after him. 

The hallway was packed when he reached it, people and various aliens moving in every direction. There was no sign of Hugh.

Paul carried the guilt of their brief exchange around with him all day, hardly able to focus on any of his classes. He hoped he hadn’t totally ruined the day of this totally random person. He was still trying to push away the twisting feeling in his stomach while he stood in line for coffee. He was so preoccupied that he didn’t notice until he got to the front of the line that it was Hugh behind the counter. Paul’s mouth dropped open and for a second he wanted to bolt. But no, that would only make things worse. 

Hugh gave his standard greeting, then cut off in the middle of it when he took in Paul’s face, clearly recognizing him. “Oh.” 

Paul gulped. “I—“

Hugh rolled his eyes, holding up a hand. “Look just tell me what you want and we can get this over with, okay?”

Paul glanced behind him. There was only one other person in line, and since the other register was open, they went to place their order there. Steeling himself, he turned back to Hugh. “Wait.” 

Hugh drew in a breath, then looked up at him. “What?” 

“I’ve actually been looking for you all day. I didn’t think I’d find you here, but. I wanted to say I was sorry.” He glanced down at the name tag, but wrinkled his brow when it had a different name on it. “Wait, I thought your name was Hugh?”

Hugh’s eyebrows lifted. “Oh, so you did hear something I said, hm?” Then he glanced down at this apron which had the name Chanterelle, ze/hir pinned to it. “Oh. I must’ve grabbed the wrong one. That’s why that customer was using ze/hir pronouns for me.” 

Hugh dipped down behind the counter to grab a basket of pins, which he rummaged around in for a moment before selecting one that said “Hugh, he/him.” He pinned it on then looked back up at Paul. “So. You were apologizing?” 

Sweat gathered between Paul’s hand the the strap of his bag. There was a reason he tried to avoid this kind of interaction. He wasn’t good at it. “Yeah. I... well, I think we had a misunderstanding.” Hugh raised his eyebrow, so Paul rushed to explain. “I’m not homophobic. I’m gay myself. I’m just... also kind of an asshole who is bad at social interaction and doesn’t have time for friends.”

Hugh’s expression shifted from guarded and suspicious to surprised and a little bemused. Paul pushed on. 

“That’s why I said that. Not because you’re gay, or whatever. I just. Don’t like people as a whole. Not specifically gay people.” 

Hugh tilted his head. “And... you’ve been looking for me the whole day to tell me that?” 

Paul shifted nervously. “Well, yeah. I didn’t want to completely ruin your first day of the semester.” 

Hugh laughed and shook his head. “You wouldn’t have. I was just feeling a little defensive today because it was the first time I wore..” he gestured at his face, the somewhat elaborate make up. “All of this.” He paused. “I’m not... ashamed or anything. I just feel a little bit more exposed than usual. It makes me a bit self conscious.”

Paul shook his head, staring at Hugh. “Well it shouldn’t. You look amazing.” 

Hugh looked up at him, blinking in surprise. “Really?” 

Paul blushed, realizing what he’d said, but nodded. Something sparked in his belly as Hugh looked at him. All of a sudden, he blurted, “Chanterelle is the name of a mushroom?” 

Hugh’s eyebrows scrunched together. “What?” 

“Uh. Your coworkers name. The name tag you had on before. Hir name is a type of mushroom.” 

An amused smile spread across Hugh’s face. “You’re weird, you know that?”

Paul blushed again, twisting the strap of his bag. “I’ve been told. Anyways, I just wanted to say that I was sorry.” Then he thought for a second. His day had already been atrociously unproductive… he might as well lean into it. He sucked in a breath before asking, “And… do you have a break soon?” 

Hugh nodded slowly, watching Paul. “I do. In about fifteen minutes. Why?” 

“Well. I was wondering if you’d let me buy you a coffee. Not as a... thing, or whatever. Just. As friends.” He grimaced slightly as the irony of his final words hit him, given what his first words to Hugh had been. “Oh god. You know what? Forget it. It was—“

“Medium dark chocolate cinnamon mocha.” 

Paul blinked at him. “What?” 

“That’s what I drink,” Hugh said, punching it in on the register. “And you’re going to buy it for me?” He was giving Paul a slightly teasing smile. 

Paul let out a breath. “Yeah. Yeah. Uh, I’ll take that, then, and a black coffee.” 

Hugh scrunched up his face at his order but nodded, punching in the order. After he took his payment, he pointed to a group of cushy chairs by the window. “Try and snag those if you can. I’ll be over in a bit.” With one last smile, he turned away to head to the back of the shop. Paul gripped his coffee, nodded aimlessly to the now empty space behind the register, and made his way over to the chairs.


	2. Chapter 2

Warmth was still spreading through Hugh’s entire body-- a nice change from the rest of his day-- as he finished making his drink and took off his apron. He’d been trying to shake off the encounter he’d had with his rude classmate all day, but try as he might, it had continued to haunt him. When he’d changed for work, he’d hesitated in front of his mirror, wondering if he should just take his makeup off. There was nothing to be ashamed of-- logically, he knew that. There were plenty of people of all genders who played around with different kinds of presentations. Most prejudice around it had faded. Growing up in the house he did, though, self-expression of any kind hadn’t exactly been welcomed. Whether it had anything to do with gender or sexuality didn't matter-- if you were focusing on your appearance that much, you were squandering valuable time that should be spent elsewhere. Hugh could still see the disapproval in his mother's eyes when he'd come home from his friend's house wearing mascara and eyeliner, the disdain of his older sibling who scrubbed it off of him using only a washcloth and water. That conditioning of shame had started to fade during Hugh's first year at that Academy. Getting some space from his family allowed him to realize that that kind of behavior wasn't normal. But it had still taken him a whole year to get to this point, where he felt comfortable enough to wear light blue, shimmery eyeshadow, a subtle but shiny lipgloss, and two dark blue gem stones in his ears. It was a big step. So to be met almost immediately with what he’d assumed was someone saying he didn’t want to be friend because he was wearing makeup... that had stung.

Hearing Paul say that he looked good in it though... that sparked a warmth in Hugh that he hadn't really felt before. Hugh hadn’t ever really experienced direct affirmation like that. His friends had been supportive, but this was something different. Brusque to a fault, Paul was not someone who would lie about something like that. That much, Hugh could already tell. He was telling the complete truth when he said that Hugh looked good.

Hugh wasn’t sure what to make of Paul Stamets. He was rude as hell, that was for sure, and it was possible that Hugh shouldn’t spend another second on him. But it also seemed like there were some hidden depths to him. Which... was definitely something that Hugh had thought about others before, friends and love interests, people that he had always ended up regretting spending so much time and energy on. But none of those people would have been as genuinely disturbed as Paul seemed to be at the thought of having hurt someone. None of them would have spent all day keeping an eye out for someone that they thought they hurt. That level of caring was enough to intrigue Hugh.

Plus, sue him, but Paul was cute. Not that he was going to let himself go in that direction. Nothing good lead down that road. Paul had said he didn’t have time for friends. That would also mean that he had no time for any other kind of entanglement. Plus, men who were self-proclaimed assholes were never good boyfriend material.

Still... Hugh couldn’t help the fluttery feeling in his tummy as he checked his makeup one more time in the tiny back office mirror, grabbed his drink he’d made earlier, and headed across the cafe to the chairs that he’d pointed out to Paul earlier. Paul was hunched over his padd, eyebrows scrunched together in concentration in a way that was totally not adorable.

He looked up as he noticed Hugh approaching. Hugh gave him a little wave as he walked up.

“Hey.”

“Hey,” Paul replied, straightening up in his chair, putting his padd aside.

The cushy chair was a welcome relief after spending a couple hours on his feet. Hugh sank into it, a soft sigh escaping his lips. On autopilot, he closed his eyes and stretched out his legs in front of him, raising his arms above his head for a moment too. He opened his eyes to find Paul watching him with amusement.

“What?” Hugh asked, pulling his legs back, feeling slightly self conscious.

Paul shook his head. “You just look very... comfortable. Cozy.” He flicked his eyes over Hugh’s body.

Hugh glanced down at himself, lifting his arms slightly to get a better view. His sweater was a mix of light blue and lilac, a vintage piece that he'd scored from a consignment shop. And it _was_ cozy. It kept him warm in the chill from the waterfront. It was one of his favorite sweaters, and he’d selected it today to go with his blue-toned makeup, but now he felt a bit embarrassed. Was Paul's comment a dig at his clothing choices? 

“Oh. Yeah.” Hugh fidgeted with the edge of his sweater. “I feel a little silly wearing this with you still in your cadet uniform.”

Paul looked down at himself, wrinkling his nose. “Oh. Don’t be. I practically live in this thing. It’s honestly a little gross.”

“Hmm. Clothing. Just another thing that Paul Stamets doesn’t have time for?”

Pail sighed and looked down at his shoes. “Kind of. I—“ Paul tilted his head. “Wait, how do you know my last name? Or... my first name, for that matter?”

“Oh! I just noticed it when I took your payment. It’s on your pay card. Sorry if that... I don’t know, sorry if that’s weird?”

Paul shook his head. “No, that’s fine. I was just trying to figure out if you were a mind reader or something.”

Hugh smirked. “Mm! Not that I know of.”

The conversation trailed off. Hugh fidgeted. Should he have said something else? Something wittier? He took a sip of his drink, trying to keep the awkwardness at bay. Tucked next to Paul’s thigh was the padd he’d been working on when Hugh had walked over. He seized on the topic of conversation.

“So… what were you working on?”

Paul followed Hugh’s gaze down to his padd. “Just applying for a student research position.”

“Oh? What kind of research?”

A faint blush took over Paul’s face as he fidgeted with his coffee cup. “Ah, it’s. Pretty nerdy. You wouldn’t be interested.”

Hugh raised an eyebrow. “Try me.”

Their eyes met for a few moments, before Paul shook his head in resignation. “Fine, but it’s not my fault if you get bored.”

Hugh raised both of his eyebrows in a playful challenge, tucking up his legs in a crisscross applesauce position.

Paul shook his head again, but this time there was something like a smile on his face. “Okay. Um. So the research is all about the mycelial network. Well. Less about _the_ mycelial network and more about how smaller mycelium function. But it would all feed into the research about the mycelial network.”

_Mycelium._ Hugh could remember hearing something about that in his biology classes but couldn’t recall exactly what it was or why someone would be excited to study it. But he loved learning more, so he wanted to make sure he understood. Interrupting Paul, he asked, “what exactly is the mycelial network?”

“It’s… oh. It’s.” Paul looked over at Hugh, an almost apologetic look on his face. “You really don’t have to listen to me talk about this. I know you’re just being polite, but I don’t need it. It won’t offend me if you want me to shut up.”

“I’m not just being polite, I’m interested.” Paul looked unconvinced so Hugh pressed on. “If I was just polite, I wouldn’t be asking you more questions about it, would I? I’d be hoping you would finish as quickly as possible.”

Paul conceded that point with a nod of his head. “That or you’re a good actor. But I’ll take you at your word. The mycelial network is this subspace realm that’s made up of the mycelium of this particular kind of fungus. It… well, we haven’t explored exactly how far it goes. But it’s possible that its… roots, basically, spread through our entire universe.”

Hugh gaped at Paul. “Really?”

Excitement sparked in Paul’s eyes as he nodded, leaning forward in his chair. “There’s even some theories that it crosses into alternate realities or universes.”

Hugh’s mouth hung open. “Wow. Why haven’t I heard more about this?”

“It’s still pretty experimental science. No one wants to jump the gun and come to incorrect conclusions. And things like the alternate realities and stuff? Those are really just fringe theories. They’re probably not true. But.” He smiled to himself, eyes slightly glazing over. “It’s still pretty cool to think about.”

A small smile spread across Hugh’s face as he watched the other man. “And you want to study this?”

All traces of the uptight, mean man that Hugh had met earlier that day vanished as Paul nodded eagerly, a small but excited grin taking over his face. “I’ve been reading articles about it since I was twelve. There’s… this one fringe theory that people have been tiptoeing around. That it might be possible to harness the network to be able to jump through space at inconceivable speeds.” Paul gestured animatedly as he spoke. “Most people are too scared to dig into it too much, worried that they’ll lose credibility by spending time on a fringe theory or end up wasting their life’s work on a wild hunch. But.” His eyes shone— he was totally enraptured. “I haven’t been able to shake the idea since I read about it. It’s just so _fascinating_. The possibilities of that...” he shook his head, coming back down to earth a bit. “Anyways, it’ll take me awhile to get there, if I ever do, but that’s what I want to study.”

“Wow,” Hugh said again, this time in a slightly awed tone. Ever since their conversation at the register, he’d assumed there was more to this man than he had seen or that most people had seen. But he hadn’t fully imagined this kind of energy and unbridled enthusiasm. “That’s really cool.”

Suspicion flickered across Paul’s face. The light in his eyes shuttered as Paul leaned back in his chair, eyeing Hugh. “Sorry. I talked too much.”

“What? No!” Without thinking it through, he reached across the gap between their chairs to lay a hand on his arm. Paul’s eyes flicked down to it, then back up at Hugh, whose cheeks heated. He pulled his hand back. “I genuinely enjoyed listening to that. I think it’s really interesting. And what do you mean ‘if’ you ever get there? You’re so driven, and probably super qualified for an entry level research position, with all the research you’ve already done. You’ll get there.”

If someone had asked him why it was so important to him to comfort Paul, Hugh wasn’t sure if he could’ve answered. The pure fascination and joy on Paul’s face as he talked was just so lovely to see. It was clear that someone, or maybe several someones, had tried to stomp out the fire of curiosity and passion that burned within him. Hugh didn’t want Paul to think that he would ever try to put it out. He loved seeing it... and maybe he even wanted to see more of it.

Paul’s face softened. He kept looking at the spot that Hugh had touched on his lower left arm. “I hope so.” He brushed his fingers against his padd. “I just have to get this application in first.And pretty soon, it’s due— wait.” Paul looked up at Hugh, panic in his eyes. “What time is it?”

Hugh checked his own padd, flashing the screen at Paul so that he could see.

“Fuck. I only have a few more hours till I need to get it sent in.” He looked up at Hugh. “I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to totally monopolize the conversation and then just take off. This wasn’t a very good apology coffee was it?”

He looked so genuinely sorry that Hugh had to laugh. “It’s okay, really. But...” Hugh stood up as Paul did, hands on the front of his thighs. “Would you maybe want to get another coffee sometime?”

Paul’s eyebrows shot up. Hugh put his hands up in a partially defensive, partially calming way. “I didn’t mean... just, as friends.”

Paul’s shoulders relaxed. “Oh. Uh. Yeah.” He looked surprised that he had agreed.

Hugh smiled reassuringly, hoping that he wouldn’t take it back. “Great. Um, I’ll give you my contact info, here.” He took the padd from Paul’s hand, entering in his info, then handing it back with a smile and an encouraging hand on Paul’s upper bicep. Paul looked over at his hand.

“Good luck with the application! You’ve got this.” With one last squeeze, he turned and headed back to his job.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am making this all up as I go and enjoying it immensely. <3 Please keep commenting with any thoughts you have if you feel so inspired, I love reading them!

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you all enjoyed!! Thank you so much for reading! As always, I live for your kudos and comments!!!!!


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